English saxophonist Julian Arguelles arrives in Dublin next week to collaborate with Irish trio Microclimate to provide an opportunity to see a front rank working group with a very original sound fusing with a guest of exceptional talent and rare adaptablity.

Arguelles has played in a number of different groups in Ireland with his friend, bassist Ronan Guilfoyle, who leads Microclimate. The two joined with New York drummer Jim Black in 2002 to record Live in Dublin (Auand, 2006), a tour-deforce of saxophone trio playing, and Arguelles was a member of the bassist's Lingua Franca group which has recorded two excellent CDs, Bird (IMC, 2000) dedicated to the music of Charlie Parker, and Exit (PMP, 2003) which drew on further collaborators from Irish traditional music.

But if he is a masterful collaborator, Arguelles is also very much his own musician, and his own projects place him very much at the forefront of European jazz. From his early days in the trail-blazing big band Loose Tubes, to his own quartets and his prodigious output as a composer, including pieces for the BBC and the Trinity College of Music String Ensemble, the saxophonist has shown remarkable breadth and an insatiable appetite for invention.

Microclimate with special guest Julian Arguelles play the Pendulum Club in JJ Smyths next Sunday.

Building a jazz career can be a challenge at the best of times, and assistance will always be necessary to ensure that the wealth of talent now pouring out of Newpark Music Centre and elsewhere reaches an audience.

So schemes like Music Network's Young Musicwide Award, which is currently seeking applications, are an important part of creating a viable working environment and equipping young musicians with the tools to develop and prosper.

The previous recipients of the award in 2004 were Organics, featuring drummer Kevin Brady, Hammond organist Justin Carroll, and guitarist John Moriarty. Over the three years of their participation in the scheme, the group have toured extensively and released New Light, their excellent debut album. Brady, who has recently launched his own musician's collective, The Living Room, is enthusiastic about the scheme and urges other young musicians to seize the opportunity.

Unfortunately the scheme is limited to groups of five musicians or less, so some of the larger ensembles, where support is all the more vital, are not eligible, but the award still represents an important opportunity for young musicians to get their feet on the ladder towards professional status. The deadline for receipt of applications for the next award is Friday 15 June with auditions in September.